We here at L.A. Weekly are generally pro–party people. And we believe you have the right to party without the threat of death.

So when someone dies during this particular pursuit of happiness, we take it a little personally.

The Los Angeles City Council recently approved a $50,000 reward for anyone who helps lead cops to the capture and conviction of a man detectives allege murdered a partygoer outside the Standard Hotel downtown in December.

The victim was identified as 22-year-old Thomas Johnson. 

It went down on Dec. 13 about 2:20 a.m. Los Angeles Police Department Det. Douglas Pierce told us, “We're hearing that a beef on one of the floors upstairs spilled out into the street.”

The department described what allegedly happened in a statement:

Mr. Johnson ran to the rear of the hotel through the lobby to avoid getting shot. Simultaneously, the suspect ran around the hotel toward the rear and confronted Mr. Johnson.

The suspect continued to fire several rounds, hitting Mr. Johnson and another victim, who returned fire with his own gun.

The LAPD later said the suspect, identified as 32-year-old Jamaine Harrington, wounded the other victim in the upper leg.

Johnson was pronounced dead at a hospital that morning, authorities said.

Following the attack, police released security video of a man they believed to be the shooter. Tipsters came forward, Pierce said, and Johnson was named.

He might be hiding out on his home turf of South L.A., the detective said. Or he could be in Phoenix or Louisiana, he said. The suspect is described as being about 5 feet, 7 inches with corn-row hair.

Anyone with info on his whereabouts was asked to call LAPD Central Division homicide detectives at 213-996-1891.

There could be 50 large in it for you.
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